An "attack squirrel" housed in an Alabama apartment and fed methamphetamine by its owner to make sure it stayed aggressive was rescued Monday, officials said.

The squirrel was removed from the alleged drug den by investigators following a bust at an apartment in Athens, according to authorities.

One man, identified as Ronnie Reynolds, 37, was arrested at the scene, but the Limestone County Sheriff's Office is still looking for another suspect — the alleged "caretaker" of the squirrel — identified as Mickey Paulk, 35.

The sheriff's office said that prior to the drug raid, officials were told Paulk kept an "attack squirrel" in his home, AL.com reported. It's illegal in Alabama to have a pet squirrel.

Officials found the squirrel, and released it into the wild, per a recommendation from Alabama's Department of Conservation.

"There was no safe way to test the squirrel for meth," the sheriff's office said.

Meth, drug paraphernalia and body armor were seized from the apartment.

Authorities urge anyone with information on the whereabouts of Paulk — who's wanted on multiple charges including possession of a controlled substance — to contact the sheriff's office at 256-232-0111.

The outlandish tale of a meth-fueled "attack squirrel" just got even nuttier.

The wanted Alabama man who police alleged fed a pet rodent methamphetamine to keep it aggressive has spoken out while on the lam — and he says his pet squirrel is no druggie.

Mickey Paulk, 35, released a Facebook video on Tuesday — alongside a squirrel — after the Limestone County Sheriff's Office said he was wanted on multiple charges including possession of a controlled substance.

It's illegal to have a pet squirrel in Alabama. Officials said they released the critter into the wild, as "there was no safe way to test the squirrel for meth."

But in his video, Paulk appeared to suggest he was somehow reunited with his critter pal — and not because the squirrel came back looking for a fix.

"They said it was a trained attack squirrel in a residence that was on meth," Paulk is heard saying in the video. "You can't give squirrels meth, it would kill them. I'm pretty sure, but I've never tried it."

Warning: Graphic Language

The 35-year-old said the squirrel is just over 10 months old and described his personality as being "an a--hole, he's a mean motherf-----. No doubt."

"But he's not a trained attack squirrel, and he's not on meth, I'm pretty sure," Paulk said. "I better not find out he's on meth anyway. I don't think he likes that s---. The squirrel is safe. The public isn't in danger in any way from the methed-out squirrel in the neighborhood."

Paulk claimed police invented the story because they were "mad" he wasn't at the home and questioned how he could be charged if he wasn't in the house at the time of the raid, during which deputies said they seized meth, drug paraphernalia and body armor. Paulk said he no longer lived at the home, though, some of his belongings were still there.

He described the situation as a "joke," and assured "the animal lovers out there" the squirrel is doing well.

"Look at the camera, look at the camera, don't squeak at me," Paulk said at the end of his video as he talked to the supposedly sober squirrel.

Compare the impressions intentionally left by the article of some malevolent prototypical 'bad guy drug dealer' straight out of Hollywood; then listen to the video of the quiet, witty, Southern American individual.

Rowan Cocoan And if the man truly no longer resided at the searched address, how do they propose to link the drug seizure to him? Oh, wait...it's 2019 and it's an American police agency.....if they don't have anything, they will simply manufacture the needed connection and/or they'll be in fear for their lives whenever they catch up to him and simply kill him on sight.

Obviously, (and unlike the lies used to accuse him) Fellow Redneck and obviously Aware American, Mickey Paul k, is speaking truth, as is likely his nature.

He says he went back and the poor squirrel was still outside, (likely scared to death) and happily hopped on his shoulder.

Obviously, he has a squirrel there that knows him, as that ain't no wild/feral squirrel and no one's said he had two, so the happy parts of this story:

- the squirrel is OK; back safe with his owner, who tends to swear a bit, which by its nature makes me wonder if he or his father was in the Army. (USAF folk have a different way of swearing - a lot less 'MFs'.)

- He should research where it's legal to own a squirrel and go there now, declare himself openly, and wait to see if the State of Alabama is so stupid as to attempt to extradite someone for 'possession of an attack squirrel,' et al.

The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside.